promontory

noun

prom·​on·​to·​ry ˈprä-mən-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce promontory (audio)
plural promontories
1
a
: a high point of land or rock projecting into a body of water
b
: a prominent mass of land overlooking or projecting into a lowland
2
: a bodily prominence

Examples of promontory in a Sentence

stood on the windswept promontory overlooking the bay Cape May is Delaware Bay's largest promontory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The castle sits atop a dramatic rocky promontory and makes for a spooky side trip for those visiting Bucharest (about a three-hour drive south). Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025 By Eren Orbey Scott Johnson was found dead at the base of North Head, a sandstone promontory in Manly, Australia, that looms two hundred feet above the craggy shore of the Tasman Sea. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 Once settled, campers can follow the Shoreline Trail from camp to make a loop around Turtle Back Hill, a promontory that juts out into a brackish, intertidal salt marshlands. Don Sproul, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025 The promontories rising on each side of the Strait of Gibraltar are known as the Pillars of Hercules. Elizabeth Fernandez, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for promontory

Word History

Etymology

Latin promunturium, promonturium; probably akin to prominēre to jut forth — more at prominent

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of promontory was in 1548

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Promontory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/promontory. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

promontory

noun
prom·​on·​to·​ry ˈpräm-ən-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce promontory (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
plural promontories
: a high point of land sticking out into the sea

Medical Definition

promontory

noun
prom·​on·​to·​ry ˈpräm-ən-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr- How to pronounce promontory (audio)
plural promontories
: a bodily prominence: as
a
: the angle of the ventral side of the sacrum where it joins the vertebra
b
: a prominence on the inner wall of the tympanum of the ear

More from Merriam-Webster on promontory

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